130,00 cr stolen from people and given to friend in debt: Rahul Gandhi on Rafale deal

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday continued attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government over Rafale fighter jet deal, alleging that Rs 1,30,000 crore was “stolen” from the people of India and “given to a friend who was 45,000 crore in debt”.

Attributing the remark to former defence minister and senior Congress leader AK Antony, Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “One of the highlights of today’s CWC meeting, was Mr Antony’s brilliant description of the Rafale robbery: 130,000 Cr. stolen from the people of India and given to a friend who was 45,000 crore in debt.”

One of the highlights of today’s CWC meeting, was Mr Antony’s brilliant description of the Rafale robbery: 130,000 Cr. stolen from the people of India and given to a friend who was 45,000 crore in debt. #RafaleScam — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 4, 2018

This came even as the Congress Working Committee on Saturday decided that the fight over Rafale deal would be taken to the streets.

Rahul Gandhi had last week alleged that Indian taxpayers would pay Rs 1 lakh crore to “friend” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the maintenance of Rafale fighter jets.

Targeting Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the issue, the Gandhi scion added that “Raksha Mantri will address a Press CON to deny this”.

The Congress president alleged that the said amount would be paid by Indian taxpayers over the next 50 years.

Sharing part of an “investor Presentation” of Anil Ambani’s Reliance Infrastructure Limited, the Gandhi scion tweeted, “Over the next 50 years, Indian Tax Payers will pay Mr 56’s friend’s JV, 100,000 Cr to maintain 36  #RafaleScam jets, India is buying. Raksha Mantri will address a Press CON to deny this, as usual. But the truth is in the presentation I’m attaching.”

Rahul Gandhi has been attacking Prime Minister Modi-led NDA government at the Centre over the Rafale deal relentlessly since the no-confidence motion debate in Parliament wherein he had alleged that the Defence Minister had lied to the nation under pressure from the Prime Minister.

On July 24, the Congress president had alleged that the country had seen “4 revolving Raksha Mantris” to give Prime Minister Modi space to personally re-negotiate Rafale deal with France.